february favorites!

i am a makeup fiend... as some of you may already know, i spend a hefty part of my extra money on makeup. i consider it some sort of therapy. this month, i bought a good amount of makeup, upscale and drugstore, and have sorted out my favorites among (many of) the products!

1. MAC's Shaping Powder in Emphasize

2. MAC's Alpine Bronze Mineralize Blush

3. MAC's Melba Blush

4. MAC's Mineralized Skinfinish in Stereo Rose*

5. MAC 208 Angled Brow Brush*

6. MAC 266 Small Angle Brush*

7. Hourglass No. 28 Primer Serum*

8. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light*

9. NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder* 

10. Real Techniques Buffing Brush and Expert Face Brush

11. Make Up For Ever HD Foundation in N115*

* a full review is in the works!

here's a small breakdown of all items mentioned above...

1-3. i won't go into too much detail here, but MAC's Shaping Powder in Emphasize, MAC's Alpine Bronze Mineralize Blush and MAC's Melba blush have all been integrated into my daily routine... & i still love them all! check out my review of them all here 

4. MAC's Mineralized Skinfinish in Stereo Rose was a little gem i picked up when it was re-released in the Apres-Chic Collection. unfortunately it is sold out, just like it had within minutes in 2010. although i need to use a light hand with this corally-golden because of my pale-ness, it is quite the beauty!

5-6. while we are on the topic of MAC, i bought two brushes of theirs that i have been dying to try! i got the 208 Angled Brow Brush and the 266 Small Angle Brush. keep an eye out for a review of both these brushes and a new lipstick i picked up! 

7-8. Hourglass has been one of my favorite brands for years and years. i remember my love for their tinted moisturizer and their duo eye shadows, which apply like butter. well, i love my face primers so i just HAD to try Hourglass' No. 28 Primer Serum. my skin has been rather dry so i picked this baby up after some great reviews from different bloggers, as well as its promise for a "ultra-hydrating and nutrient-rich primer and serum infused with 28 beneficial ingredients to nurture your skin." SOLD! i'm lovin' this primer/serum and recommend it to anyone who is suffering from dry skin. Hourglass also just released their Spring Collection & ever since i first heard word of their Ambient Lighting Powder, i knew i had to get my hands on it! oh.my.god. this powder is amazing. i ordered it in "Diffused Light" (the consensus around the blog-o-sphere concluded this was one of the better ones) and couldn't be happier. 

9. NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder is also a new product for the Spring, and also a product i have had my eye on before it even released! unfortunately, it had sold out online immediately, so i had to venture to the nearest Sephora and grab it. NARS currently does not have it for sale on their website (they do have the loose version), but Sephora does have it in stock still!

10. Real Techniques brushes have become my go-to to apply anything from foundation, highlighter, concealer, face powder, blush, you name it! Samantha & Nicole Chapman, or "Pixiwoo" on YouTube, are two lovely sisters who have developed these brushes after years of makeup tutorials online. in fact, they are my favorite to watch! i have the entire set of brushes, and although they are all fabulous, the two i really find myself using the most are their Buffing Brush and the Expert Face Brush. i tend to use the Buffing Brush as a finisher for my foundation as well as to apply powder. the Expert Face Brush is perfect to apply foundation, if you want a little bit more coverage. i bought these at Harmon Discount, but you can purchase at Ulta!

11. my last product is the Make Up For Ever HD Foundation in N115. i have been wanting to try this foundation for the longest time, so i picked this baby up on my last Sephora trip! very nice formula and a smooth finish :)

that's all for now, keep an eye out for those reviews! ;)

the oscars! (gif heavy!)

the oscars came to our LED televisions last night and i settled down for a long night of prom dresses, awkward camera shots, pre-rehearsed speeches, and seth mcfarlane's potentially inappropriate monologues. don't get me wrong, there were celebrities who looked absolutely stunning and some noteworthy moments during the 3 hour show. i'll address them here.

the (more important) winners: 

* Best Picture: Argo

* Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln

* Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook

* Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz in Django Unchained

* Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway in Les Miserables

winners!

ohh jennifer lawrence, so much happened with you last night! on top of winning best actress, jennifer fell up the steps to accept her award, muttered "fuck" quietly to herself, couldn't let us know the brand of clothing she was wearing, announced she was hungry, and gave the finger to cameras after receiving the award. but its funny because regardless, it just made her seem more "human." she's kind of adorable.

oops.

flippin' the bird

when seth macfarlane did the skit for "we saw your boobs," jennifer lawrence was mentioned for having never shown her boobs in a movie before. this was her reaction, LOL:

for some reason, and i'm not sure if it has to do with her previous movies, many people seem to really dislike Anne Hathaway. i am not one of them. i have no problem with her, and i'm not quite sure what people see. does she appear to have a large ego? maybe its because she looks so fabulous in short hair, women are jealous? tell me people! well, it didn't help her case last night when she showed up wearing a pale pink Prada gown... with the most unfortunately placed darted seams in the bust area. i couldn't help but look at her bust area, feeling uncomfortable for her. her saving grace? her adorable growing hair and her classic makeup. oh, and maybe that little award for best supporting actress. yeah, that helped too.

* favorite dresses last night? definitely has to go to Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, and Stacey Keibler. sleek, metallic, sparkly. it appears all these ladies have something in common and i just adore it. no puffy prom dresses here, just grown up chic. 

oh & a few celebrities made us all feel like they were simply too good for the Oscars and for all us mere peasants. some to mention? robert downey jr. and joaquin phoenix.

yes, that's right clap for me.

yeah, whatever.

some valid points to mention from the evening's festivities: 

* i think we could have done without Kristen Stewart's "i just came from a grungy rock star's funeral" get-up, awkward demeanor, forgetting to speak when its her turn, and a just overall disinterest in being there. can we stop inviting her to events?

* renee zellweger may have been loopy on tranquilizers & had slight botox done or.... is that just the way she usually looks? 

* channing tatum danced for us, but decided not to take his clothes off? was there a reason...?

* the one french dude during the Les Mis skit really went to town on his solos. like, obnoxiously went to town.

* russell crowe sang??? like, for reals?

* was a bit confused why the tiger from Life of Pi wasn't in attendance. admit it, he was the real star of the movie.

* why do the oscars go over by a half hour every single year? if we took out the first half hour of macfarlane's singing, we would have been fine (or the random awards no one cares about).

* so every time jennifer aniston would say "anna karenina," i thought she was stuttering. it wasn't her fault either, try saying it.

* bradley cooper looked adorable and brought his mother with him. sat front row, and won nothing :( wah. he rocked in Silver Linings Playbook. in fact, much better than Lawrence did, in my opinion. its tough being up against Daniel Day-Lewis.

* jennifer garner is a cutie, but i'm not sure why big tufts of fabric encompassed her entire backside. quote my mother, "you can't even sit in that...thing."

* robert deniro simply didn't give two craps about his hair: 

* can i just mention anne hathaway's nipples again... i mean, darted fabric in her dress? ugh, just noooo.

* daniel day-lewis seems like the coolest guy ever. he even displayed a great sense of humor while receiving his award. oh, and made history as the only man to win 3 best actor oscars. go him!

* kristen chenoweth was an awful idea for a host on the red carpet. everything was about her. "yeah, you're up for best actress... so how do you like my dress? look how much smaller i am than you..." bad news bears.

* the last 5 minutes of the show, which i hope everyone had turned off the television after seeing ben affleck tear up accepting the award for argo, we all could have done without. seriously, hearing chenoweth and macfarlane sing was not my ideal lullaby to fall asleep to. it screeched through my entire body. 

well that's my oscars wrap-up! you probably don't have to skip through those atrocious 3 hours you have on DVR anymore, right?? talk to you all lataaaa ;)

feeling down? over eating? trouble waking in the morning?...

if you live in the upper half of the states, you may be longing for the warm spring weather to arrive. here in Jersey, the temperature hasn't rose above the 30's in days. i've found myself having trouble waking up in the morning, longing for the warmth of my bed. i curl up on the couch with a warm blanket and plop in front of the tv. naturally, i'll grab some food to munch on. i prefer the comfort of my home to dressing up and taking on the town. my motivation has been limited and my friends have given up on me. but believe it or not, i am not the only one suffering from these symptoms. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real disorder that wasn't recognized until the 1980s. 

in mild cases, we get the "winter blues," which will leave us fatigued, unable to wake easily in the morning or fall asleep at night, feeling withdrawn from the world, lack of energy, and loss of productivity at work or school. luckily, SAD is temporary and once the sun begins to shine again and temperatures get warmer, your symptoms will disappear.

what if you think its more than just a seasonal depression? get evaluated by a doctor. SAD disappears comes spring and reappears come fall. but if you find that your depression has become year-round or you are fully withdrawn, its time to get checked out. depression is a serious disorder that should never be taken lightly. if you find yourself not wanting to leave your house, avoiding communication, food, activities, sex, a doctor will be able to direct you in a course of treatment to get you better. don't suffer!

although its temporary, there are some cures to help you kick SAD in the rear! According to the Mayo Clinic, Light Therapy is a proven way to decrease symptoms of SAD. consider purchasing a Light Therapy Box to sit or work near that mimics the natural light. you know how the sun makes your mood instantly change? light therapy is thought to effect the brain chemicals that are linked to your mood. the suggested use for a light box is for 30 minutes a day with the light shining indirectly toward your eyes. Light Therapy Boxes can also be used to help correct your sleep cycle (circadian rhythms), which tends to get thrown out of whack when you suffer from SAD. Another benefit to the box is the decreased need for popping unnecessary antidepressants. pop on this box every day, and watch as your mood and sleep cycles change for the better!

+ Amazon has some great deals on Light Therapy Lamps: this one is prescription strength, and has a 4.4 rating out of 5. if money is a concern, this one is ranked 4.1 out of 5 and has "just the right level of brightness."

some facts about SAD:

* it effects more women and children than men.

* people with SAD report sleeping 2.5 hours more in winter than summer.

* reverse SAD is real... this is when a person feels more depressed in the summer than in the winter.

* according to Dr. Norman Rosenthal of the National Institute of Health, SAD is a genetic predisposition. so, in short, it most likely runs in your family.

sources: Psychology Today and Mayo Clinic 

i hope this brought to "light" that SAD is a real-life disorder that effects 6 percent of the US population. lesser symptoms of SAD, like the winter blues, effects nearly 14 percent of US adults. when in doubt, just give it around three months, and we will be much warmer and, in turn, much happier!

have a fun weekend :)

the five.

i'll randomly be posting a new topic called "the five." its comprised of 5 different pictures, books, facts, or anything that pops into my mind. i'll do a little research and post it here!

i have been having some really weird dreams lately that have been all over the place, so today i'll list ...

5 Amazing Facts About Dreams

1. within 5 minutes of waking, 50% of your dream is gone. within 10 minutes, 90%. when i have a strange dream, i always try to jot it down quickly, before it erases from my mind.

2. men tend to dream more about other men, while women tend to dream equally about men and women. 70% of men's dreams are about other men. (source: Psychologist Jenny Parker of West England University, 2009)

3. every single person that appears in your dreams are people you have seen at least once in your lifetime. you may not remember them, but it could be that random person you saw in Walmart when you were 10. your mind is more powerful than you think.

4. 12% of people, even those who can see in color, dream in black and white. and only in black and white.

5. it is impossible to snore while in a dream. the body is paralyzed while in the REM stage.

(source: Live Science)

maybe some you already knew, but i think these were pretty neat! :)

happy thursday! (its almost the weekendddddddd!)



Flower Nail Lacquer in Gorgeous Gerbera vs. Essie's Van D'Go

i had a feeling that these two nail polishes were similar, and boy are they! i found Essie's version to be slightly more on the darker side, while Flower's was more muted pale pink. but overall, they might as well be dupes. take a looksie!

on the left finger is Essie's Van D'Go and on the right one is Flower Gorgeous Gerbera

Drew Barrymore Flower Collection Haul

as you already know from my bits & pieces post a week back, Drew Barrymore has come out with her own line of makeup! i continued by saying that it was rather odd she would have such a thing. regardless, the LED lighting in the middle of the Walmart makeup aisle was calling my name! with such a pretty display and sparkling new products, i just had to get my hands on them. i narrowed my choices down from, like, 10 products to 5. it was hard. my heart and head wanted different things! nevertheless, i am here to swatch and review my heart away on the 5 products that i have been using the past few days. here we go...

this was my haul!

Flower Nail Lacquer in NP4 Gorgeous Gerbera ($4.98) oddly reminded my of Essie's "Van D'Go" very, very much. i say oddly, because i never expected this polish to be so pigmented. i was hoping for a pale pink that made my nails look pretty and natural. its still pretty, though. it went on okay, but it took 3 coats to make it streak-less and the brush itself was kinda 'eh.' kinda sloppy, kinda cheap. i wouldn't have minded so much if it was a crappy nail polish, but 5 bucks isn't necessarily the cheapest of nail polishes. the fact that its easily dupe-able makes it less appealing. OVERALL: D

Flower BB Cream in BB1 ($12.98) immediately attracted my attention because i have recently been so in love with BB Creams. ever since the summer, i have been drawn to my Garnier BB Cream and threw out the idea of foundation all together. i nabbed this right away without hesitation. it was their palest shade, but mind you, it has warmth in it and never appeared too pale. i used my fingers to apply it, and I LOOKED LIKE A VAMPIRE. it was easily 2 shades too light for my skintone. and i.am.light. color aside, it didn't blend in well with my skin and i had to eventually use a buffing brush to distribute the color. it was very difficult to smooth into the skin. however, i did manage to take a picture of my skin with it on, and it looks nicer than i thought. it settles a little better after sinking into the skin, but regardless of that fact, it still isn't worth it to me. OVERALL: D

Flower Color Play Creme Eyeshadow in Flirty Floret ($7.98) is a cream to powder eyeshadow that caught my eye under the LED lights with its slight golden sparkle. i immediately bought this thinking i'd use it as a crease color, and have yet to do so. i slathered it over the eyelid one day and went out to town, only to come home wondering why i did such a thing. its kinda too dark for an overall eyelid color. i'll try again in the crease. it did wear really well, however, so it was rather decent. i'd like to try other colors! OVERALL: B

swatched on my hand outside during sunset, on right

Flower Kiss Stick Velvet Lip Color in Camelia Charm ($6.98) is a bubbly pink, matte lip color. its almost neon in the container and on the lips, it appears much more subdued. Drew Barrymore's Flower lip color line has two different consistencies. she has the High-Shine Kiss lip colors and the Velvet lip colors. velvet can also be considered a matte color, so i wasn't too surprised that it tugged on the lips when i applied it. as one would assume, it also was drying to my lips, and i exfoliate them every day! its pretty when lightly layered over a slathering of chapstick, but otherwise, its a drying color that i would rather just leave at home. i knew what to expect from a matte lip color, but this is no MAC matte lip color. OVERALL: D

applied lightly on my lips

Flower About Face Foundation with Primer in LF3 ($13.98) was my most anticipated product i bought from this line, next to the BB Cream, because i still am trying to find that HG foundation. unfortunately, this isn't it either. don't get me wrong, it's actually a pretty decent foundation. it has a built-in primer (which made no difference to me, as i always will use a primer anyways), hydrating moisture, soothing Vitamin C and E for anti-aging benefits, and a seamless finish.  its a nice, light foundation that i would consider for daytime, and i found it to blend in nice with my skin. not too bad. i'll keep using it until i get bored with it ;) OVERALL: B

OVERALL THOUGHTS: i was a bit disappointed in some of the items i purchased. i was bummed that the BB Cream just didn't work at all, it blended poorly, i looked like a vampire, and it didn't sink into skin. it just wasn't good. the lipstick was too drying, and the nail polish was easily dupe-able and took 3 coats to even look just okay. the only two products that i would consider a success were the foundation and the cream eyeshadow. i look forward to trying another eyeshadow and will continue using the foundation for work until i get bored with it :p

talk to you all soon!!! 

MAC haul

i've always adored MAC cosmetics and when a new collection is being released, i'm usually the first to know. lately, i haven't been their biggest fan, as i find their quality has been somewhat lacking. however, MAC has some quality makeup staples that i simply adore. their brushes are to die for, i love their mineralize skinfinishes, their gel eyeliner in blacktrack makes a solid dark line, and i am always reaching for a different MAC eyeshadow to create looks for a night out. recently, i ordered a few "staple" items that either were rated highly by other bloggers or that were recommended to me by others. 

here's what i got!...

MAC Blush in Melba & MAC Mineralized Blush in Alpine Bronze

* MAC Powder Blush in Melba is a cult favorite amongst beauty lovers. its rather hard to get a picture of, but its more of a pinky-peach color with incredible pigmentation. i'm rather pale at the moment, and when i put this on, i instantly feel like i'm adding a blast of peachy-tan to my face. because of the strong pigment, it is hard to apply, so i recommend using a clean brush after applying to blend out the harsh lines. although it was difficult to work with, and a bit too tan right now for me, i do love the unique color of this blush and am glad i purchased it. because of the pigmentation, it did last the entire workday for me. its a product i'm happy i splurged on, its going to be perfect for warmer weather! Overall: A+

* MAC Mineralize Blush in Alpine Bronze is a shimmery caramel-tan blush. again, i'm a bit pale for this right now, but its been great to apply over my blush with a light hand. i know the mineralized finish isn't a favorite of some, but i like the sheen it gives and the light finish i can obtain without having to worry about looking like a disco ball! it really is a beautiful color and i plan on using this as often as i can, especially come warmer weather. however, don't expect a ton of pigmentation on this, as it is a mineralized product, but more of a bronzey-sheen. Overall: A

* MAC Shaping Powder in Emphasize is a creamy white "pro" item that is part of the Sculpt & Shape collection. it is a multi-purpose powder that can be used to highlight the cheeks, eyes, nose, face, body, ect. it is meant to give the sense of a luminescent glow, without all the glitter, while enhancing your natural features. i expected this powder to be the size of MAC's eyeshadows, but man i was wrong. this guy is huge. i have been using this not only on the eyebrows, but also under the eyes to brighten up the area. its fabulous. i do find it falls into the creases under the eyes, but its a great product nonetheless. Overall: A-

* MAC 217 Blending Brush is a "must-have" brush from MAC that i would recommend purchasing if you are just beginning out. it is used for shading and blending of cream or powder eyeshadows and has fine, densely packed fibers. always remember to blend, blend, blend! Overall: A

as you can tell, i was very happy with my purchase! i think what helped was that i spent time researching these products and knew that they all were ranked rather high by others consumers. i have been trying to shy away from impulse spending and, in turn, have been buying only those that i know will work for me. now that i've exhausted my makeup budget, i'll have to slow down on my spending :( although i do have a few items from Drew Barrymore's Flower line that i'll be reviewing shortly, as they are more reasonable on the wallet. stay tuned :)